Injection blow molding machine

Abstract

An injection blow molding machine utilizing an extruder and having interchangeable machine tooling components, for manufacturing injection blow molded articles of different configurations and sizes, includes a stationary machine platen; a movable machine platen which is movable toward and away from the stationary machine platen along a machine axis, to close and open a mold; opposite support rails mounted to the movable platen; a shuttle plate mounted on the movable machine platen between the opposite support rails for movement with the movable machine platen and movable perpendicular to the machine axis and having a rear surface in close proximity to the movable machine platen; core pin retainers mounted on the shuttle plate for movement therewith, each core pin retainer holding an interchangeable core pin that receives a parison to be blown into a bottle; slides movably mounted on the shuttle plate for movement with the shuttle plate and movable toward and away from each other in close proximity to a front surface of the shuttle plate around the core pin retainers mounted on the shuttle plate, the slides having interchangeable neck rings; an injection mold with interchangeable injection cavities mounted on the stationary platen; blow mold assemblies with interchangeable blow mold halves defining blow mold cavities, the blow mold assemblies fixed relative to and positioned adjacent to the stationary machine platen; take off stations mounted on the shuttle plate and including interchangeable pick off pins and stripper bushings.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An injection blow molding machine utilizing an extruder and having interchangeable machine tooling components, for manufacturing injection blow molded articles of different configurations and sizes, said injection blow molding machine comprising: a stationary machine platen;   a movable machine platen which is movable toward and away from said stationary machine platen along a machine axis, to close and open a mold;   opposite support structure mounted to said movable platen;   a shuttle assembly mounted on said movable machine platen between said opposite support structure for movement with said movable machine platen, said shuttle assembly including a shuttle plate movable perpendicular to the machine axis and having a rear surface in close proximity to the movable machine platen;   at least one core pin retainer mounted on said shuttle plate for movement therewith, each said core pin retainer holding a core pin that receives a parison to be blown into a bottle;   slides movably mounted on said shuttle plate for movement with said shuttle plate and movable toward and away from each other in close proximity to a front surface of the shuttle plate around said at least one core pin retainer mounted on the shuttle plate, said slides having interchangeable neck rings;   an injection mold with interchangeable injection cavities mounted on said stationary platen;   at least one blow mold assembly with interchangeable blow mold halves defining blow mold cavities, said at least one blow mold assembly fixed relative to and positioned adjacent to said stationary machine platen; and   at least one take off station mounted on the shuttle plate and including interchangeable pick off pins and stripper bushings movable along the pick off pins for removing a blown bottle on the pick off pins.   
     
     
       2. The machine of claim 1, wherein each take off station includes: take off pins on which blown bottles are positioned;   stripper bushings formed around the take off pins; and   at least one plate reciprocally movable along said take off pins to remove said bottles from said take off pins.   
     
     
       3. The machine of claim 1, further comprising two rails mounted on the stationary platen and wherein said at least one blow mold assembly is formed between said two rails. 
     
     
       4. The machine of claim 1, wherein each core pin retainer further includes an interchangeable neck ring adapter, and is formed with openings to bring temperature controlled liquids and gases to the core pin. 
     
     
       5. The machine of claim 4, further comprising at least one manifold formed on the shuttle plate, to bring said temperature controlled liquids and gases to the core pin retainers. 
     
     
       6. The machine of claim 1, wherein said opposite support structure for supporting said shuttle assembly, comprises: two horizontally mounted and parallel guide rails secured to said movable platen;   bearing blocks movable on said guide rails;   vertical plates secured to said bearing blocks so as to be movable therewith along said guide rails, with said shuttle plate being secured to said vertical plates to reciprocally move the shuttle plate in a direction perpendicular to the machine axis.   
     
     
       7. The machine of claim 6, further comprising tie rods extending along said machine axis, and plates secured to said movable platen and formed around said tie rods for movement of said movable platen along said machine axis; and   wherein the guide rails are secured to the plates that are secured to the movable platen, and the shuttle plate is positioned between the plates.   
     
     
       8. The machine of claim 6, further comprising cross bars which connect ends of the parallel guide rails to each other, to increase rigidity of the shuttle assembly. 
     
     
       9. The machine of claim 8, further comprising: a structural angle connected with the guide rails, to provide additional rigidity; and   adjustment bolts which connect the structural angle to the cross bars assembly to ensure a perfect alignment between components of the machine during machine closing.   
     
     
       10. The machine of claim 6, further comprising: rails formed on a floor surface parallel to the machine axis;   adjustable extensions which connect parallel guide rails together;   bearing blocks mounted on lower ends of said adjustable extensions and ridable on the rails during a mold closing operation to prevent the machine from rocking during traverse of the shuttle plate.   
     
     
       11. The machine of claim 1, further comprising: stationary plates precisely located relative to the stationary machine platen; and   upper and lower parallel rails formed on the stationary plates; and     wherein said at least one blow mold assembly is formed between said upper and lower parallel rails.   
     
     
       12. The machine of claim 11, further comprising tie rods extending along said machine axis; and   wherein there are two pair of said stationary plates formed around said tie rods.   
     
     
       13. The machine of claim 11, wherein a number of vertical bars are formed between the upper and lower rails on both sides of the stationary platen, to increase the rigidity of the upper and lower rails which support the at least one blow mold assembly. 
     
     
       14. The machine of claim 11, further comprising precise spacers formed between said at least one blow mold assembly and the upper and lower rails to ensure a perfect vertical alignment between the slides and the at least one blow mold assembly. 
     
     
       15. The machine of claim 14, further comprising: rods formed on the spacers;   a number of bearings formed at a bottom and top of the slides to ride on said rods, during opening and closing of the at least one blow mold assembly.   
     
     
       16. The machine of claim 13, wherein the vertical bars are formed with openings;   further comprising: rods extending through the openings;   bearings mounted on a rear portion of the slides for riding on said rods, to prevent the at least one blow mold assembly from shifting in the direction of the machine axis.     
     
     
       17. The machine of claim 13, wherein a number of openings are formed in the vertical bars to retain blow mold plugs which form a bottom of a product blown from said parison. 
     
     
       18. The machine of claim 11, further comprising support beams for supporting the at least one blow mold assembly on a factory floor, the support beams including adjustable machine mounts formed between the lower rail and the factory floor. 
     
     
       19. The machine of claim 1, wherein said slides includes interchangeable blow cavities precisely located thereon which are aligned during blow mold closing. 
     
     
       20. The machine of claim 1, further comprising stationary plates mounted on the stationary platen, and wherein the injection mold with interchangeable injection cavities, is precisely located between the stationary plates. 
     
     
       21. The machine of claim 1, further comprising tubes formed above a front surface of the shuttle plate, to bring cooling fluids and compressed gases needed for temperature conditioning of the core pins, with minimum heat loss through the shuttle plate to surrounding machine and mold components. 
     
     
       22. The machine of claim 1, further comprising: retainer blocks mounted on the shuttle plate; and   retainer rods for retaining said slides on the shuttle plate, said retainer rods mounted for movement inside said retainer blocks.   
     
     
       23. The machine of claim 22, wherein said retainer blocks have bottom surfaces; and   further comprising springs formed at the bottom surfaces of the retainer blocks, to lift the slides off the front surface of the shuttle plate, so as to prevent wear of the slides and damage to the neck rings during opening and closing of the slides.   
     
     
       24. The machine of claim 22, wherein there are at least two pair of the slides, with one slide of each pair moving in the same direction during opening and closing of the neck rings, and connected to each other through said retaining rods so as to move together, while the other slides of each pair move in an opposite direction and slide on said retaining rods. 
     
     
       25. The machine of claim 22, wherein said retainer rods are hollow and are provided with a number of openings to bring cooling fluids to those ones of the slides, to which the retaining rods are permanently connected. 
     
     
       26. The machine of claim 22, further comprising seals formed between said hollow rods and said slides attached to each other, to provide sealing of cooling fluids. 
     
     
       27. The machine of claim 22, further comprising bushings formed inside each slide to ensure smooth movement with minimum friction of the retainer rods inside the slides and to provide an alignment between said slides. 
     
     
       28. The machine of claim 22, further comprising bushings formed in said retainer blocks so that the retainer rods can move with minimum friction inside the retainer blocks during opening and closing of the slides. 
     
     
       29. The machine of claim 1, wherein: two said blow mold halves are movable toward and away from each other, each blow mold half having a first half cavity which together form a blow mold cavity when said two blow mold halves are moved toward each other into abutment, said blow mold cavity being open at opposite axial ends thereof, and each blow mold half having a second half cavity which together form a plug cavity when said blow mold halves are moved toward each other into abutment;   one said core pin having a parison thereon is insertable into one axial opening of said blow mold cavity; and     further comprising: a blow mold plug mounted within and along a center line of said blow mold cavity and within said plug cavity; and   a blow plug insert axially movable into the other axial opening of said blow mold cavity to provide guidance during stretching of the parison in the axial direction.     
     
     
       30. The machine of claim 29, wherein the blow plug insert includes a first cylindrical portion of a first diameter axially movable into the other axial opening of said blow mold cavity, and a second cylindrical portion of a second, lesser diameter and connected with said first cylindrical portion, axially movable within said blow mold plug, said second cylindrical portion forwardly expandable by pressure applied to a bottom of the small cylindrical portion to contact the parison, and retractable under high pressure applied to the large cylindrical portion, after high pressure is introduced inside the parison, stretching the parison, while axially guiding the parison.